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Stanford Report, Jan. 14, 2004

Documentary examines slumping schools

First to Worst, a documentary that chronicles the rise and fall of California's public school system, will be shown Wednesday, Jan. 14, in CERAS, Room 100, from noon to 1 p.m. After the screening, education Professor Mike Kirst will hold a discussion with the film's host, journalist John Merrow. The event is free and open to the public.

First to Worst is scheduled to air nationally on the Public Broadcasting System starting next month. The film details how during the 1950s and '60s California's schools were the national model, but today they rank near the bottom. The documentary explores the roots of today's education crisis, tracing it to the anti-tax movement of the 1970s and '80s and to civil rights lawsuits that aimed to equalize school spending but resulted instead in restrictive funding limits on schools. "We really wrote off adequacy and embraced equalized mediocrity," Kirst said.

Today, California's school system is trying to regain its footing by developing standards and a new system of accountability. Nevertheless, academic progress has been slow. In the most recent national educational assessment, the film notes, California ranks 9th from bottom, and in per-pupil spending, the country's richest state ranks 37th.

Deborah Stipek, dean of the School of Education, said people interested in the crisis in the nation's largest public school system are welcome to attend the event. "This is a great opportunity to learn about the history of California schools and understand the seriousness of the mess we are in now," she said.